Hand bag



June 12, m3. mwaw C. S. ELFELT HAND BAG Filed May 16, 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 James: 12, 1923. 1,458,329

c. s. ELFELT HAND BAG Filed May 16, 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented June 12, 123.

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CLIFFORD SANFORD ELFELT, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOB TO ESTHER ELFELT AND DAVID WEBER, BOTH OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

HAND BAG.

Application filed May 16, 1921. Serial No. 470,184.

To all whom it may concern: I

Be it known that I, CLIFFORD SANFORD ELFELT, a citizen of the United States, re

siding at Los Angeles. in the county of Los 5 Angeles and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hand Bags, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the reference characters marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to improvements in hand bags, vanity boxes and the like.

Ladies commonly carry small hand-bags in which are contained a variety of toilet articles and a mirror, the latter being usually positioned in the hinged lid of the box or container. It frequently happens that it is desirable to make use of the toilet articles in darkened places, such for example as a theatre or a taxi-cab, whereillumination is impossible or practically so.

The principal objectof my invention, therefore, is to provide a hand bag with a lamp of such size and location as to illuminate the face of a person -who is looking into the mirror of the bag, casting sufficient light for all practical purposes and yet have the lamp rays so concentrated and so relatively dim' that when the device is used in a theatre or other place normally dark, the attention of neighbors will not be disturbed or distracted thereby.

Another object of the invention is to produce a device ofthe character described, which will be neat, efiicient for its intended purpose and have no complicated parts to get out of order; one which will permit of replacement of the lamp or of the battery or both when exhausted in use and in which the working parts will be so covered and protected as not tomar the beauty of the interior of the structure nor interfere in any we with its other functions and utility.

ese and other objects and advantages will be manifest as I proceed with the description of the invention, which consists of the devices and combinations of devices herein illustrated and described and more particularly pointed out in the claims appended thereto.

In that form in which I have chosen to illustrate my inventlon in the accompanying drawings,

Fig. l is a view in perspective of a ladies hand-bag, with the lid opened.

F1g. 2 is a vertical, transverse, sectional view illustrating certain details, and

Fig. 3 is a perspective view, upon a different scale, showing the lamp circuit, the lamp and a dry cell or battery.

Referring to said drawings, the hand-bag is indicated as a whole by the letter A, the body being composed of a bottom 1, end walls 2. 2, a front wall 3 and a rear wall 4-; said body forming an open top compartment suitable for the reception of toilet and other articles. This compartment is closed by a top or lid member 5, hingedly connected along its rear margin to the top margin 0 the rear wall 4 by any suitable hin e device, such for example as the strap 6'. %7Vithin the recess of the lid member 5 is a mirror 7, secured in the usual manner.

8 indicates a miniature lamp supported in a lamp socket 9, secured to the angularly disposed arm or plate 9, the lamp lens projecting through a suitable aperture in the inclined wall 10. A metal conduct-or strip 11 is secured to the inside of the back wall 4 in such position as to be in contact with. the terminal end of the lamp 8, the lower end of the strip 11 being in contact with the resilient terminal strip 12 of a dry cell or batter 13. The other terminal strip 14 of the battery 13 may similarly contact with a resilient conductor strip 15.

A conductor plate 16 is secured to the back wall 4, and is in contact with the socket holding arm 9* and with the conductor strip 15. A switch, which in this instance is a pin 17 movably mounted in the slotted plate 18, is located in such position as to permit, in one position, its inner end to be free from and in another position to be in contact with the yielding conductor strip 15. This strip 15 is so bent and so located as to close the electric circuit when its lower end bears against the terminal strip 14, and to break the circuit when forced out of contact with terminal 14 by the pin 17 In Fig. 3, the full lines indicate the closed circuit, while the dotted lines indicate the position of the pin 17 and strip 15 when the circuit is open.

The dry cell or battery 13 is suitably onclosed and held in its proper position by a suitable casing 19. A vertical wall 20 joins the casing to the inclined wall 10. The casing 19 is rovided, preferably, with a foldatageous. In the form illustrated the reble end fllip 21, which folds down over and flector is integral with the socket 9, but is locked to an upwardly folding flap 22, by manifestly may be otherwlse constructed. any suitable snap fastening device, such, for Wh1le I have shown my Invention as ap- 5 example, as the stud and ring indicated at plied to a handbag, 1t Wlll be understood 7 23. These flaps 21 and 22 are separated that it 1s equally applicable to vanity boxes and opened out, as indicated by dotted lines and other articles used by ladies 1 n whlch to in Fig. 2, to expose the interior of the casmg carry mirrors and other toilet artlcles.

19, and after a dry cell 13 has been inserted I claim as my 1nvent1on:

in position, these flaps 21, 22, are brought to-' 1 In a devlce of the character described, ,7 gether, as indicated in full lines, and thus the combination with a compartment having lock or hold said dry cell in its proper poa rear wall, a lld hinged thereto and a m1riti ror in the lid, of a lamp socket, an arm sup- It Will be observed that the angular poport therefor angularly secured to the rear sition of the arm 9 and of the wall 10, are Wall, a lamp in the, socket, a pair offlexlble, such that when the lamp 8 is in place and condu ctingstrips secured to the rear wall, one h it h 17 moved t cause th t i 15 t electrically connected with the lamp and the contact with the terminal 14 and close the otherwith thelamp socket, a dry cell or batcircuit, the light rays will project not only tery 1n the compartment, its term nals be:

in a direction away from the mirror 7 but 111g for contact Wlth the two conductor he direction best calculated to strike the strips, a slotted plate, a switch pm movable face of a person'who may be looking into therein and adapted 1n one Of its POSitlODS the mirror. Thus it will be understood that to disconnect one of the flexible conductor the face is illuminated properly and will be str1ps from lts battery terminal, and a cas- 25 so properly reflected in the mirror as to permg or cover for the lamp parts and battery, mit the user to inspect the face and apply the lamp lens and the switch pm being operthe' toilet article thereto. at1ve1y exposed through said casing.

It will be understood that the lamp 8 will 2. Ina device of the character described, be of a size which will give out light rays the combination with a compartment having suflicient to illuminate the face of the user a rear wall, a lid hinged thereto and a mirand yet be sufliciently concentrated so as not ror in the'lid, of a lamp socket, an arm supto annoy others by a general illumination. port therefor an ularly secured to the rear The lamp is not positioned or intended to Wall, a lamp in t e socket, a pair of flexible illuminate either the mirror or the interior conducting strips secured to the rear wall,

35 of the bag compartment, but the face of the one electrically connected with the lamp and user. Hence the importance of positioning the other with the lamp socket, a dry .cell or the lamp with its central longitudinal axis battery-in the compartment, its terminals normal to the surface of the inclined membeing for contact with the two conductor ber 10, which member is in a predetermined strips, a slotted plate, a switch pin movable 40 position with respect to the mirror. I have t erein and adapted in one of its positions referred to the mirror as hinged or in the to disconnect one of the flexible conductor hinged lid, but the mirror may not be strips from its battery terminal, and a cashinged. in which event the lamp 8 must be ing or cover for the lamp parts and battery, so positioned as to throw-its light rays upon the lamp lens and the switch pin being op- 45 the face of the user and not into the mirror. eratively exposed through said casing, and

he style and size of the hand bag or means on the casing for removably locking container and the current supplyin methe battery in position. dium, whether one dry cell or a plum ity of 3. In a device of the character described, cells, will of course make some slight difl'erthe combination with a compartment having 50 ence in the size and location of the terminal a rear wall, a lid hinged thereto and a mirand may necessitate corresponding shifting ror in the lid, of a lamp socket, an arm supof the conductor strip to complete the cirport therefor angularly secured to the rear cuit. These and other changes are within wall, a lamp in the socket, a pair of flexible the range of the mechanic and all such I deconducting strips secured to the rear wall,

55 sire to be comprehended within the scope one electrically connected with the lampand 2 of my invention, and therefore my inventhe other with the lamp socket, a'dry cell or tion is not limited to the specific form and battery in the compartment, its terminals arrangement hereinabove described and being for contact with the two conductor illustrated, excepting as set forth in the strips, a slotted plate, a switch pin movable claims appended-hereto. therein and adapted in one of. its positions t Wlll be observed that there are no 'comto disconnect one of the flexible conductor pllcated parts to get out of order and that strips from its battery terminal, and a casoperatlon and maintenance are very simple. ing'or cover for the lamp parts and battery,

7 have shown a reflector 24 surrounding t e'lamp lens and the switch pin being oper- 05 the lamp '8. I find this is highly advanatively exposed through said casing, and 1% amaze clined member secured to a wall of the compartment, and a reflector associated with the lamp.

In testimony 15 that I claim the foregoing as my invention I afiix my signature, 1n the Riesence of two witnesses, this 14th day of CLIFFORD SANFORD ELFELT.

Witnesses:

TAYLOR E. BROWN, DAVID WEBER. 

